callegari



March 24, 1964 Filed Nov. 29, 1961 w l w L. G. GALLEGARI CAN SEAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

LOUIS G. CALL EGARl March 24, 1964 L G. CALLEGARI 3,

CAN SEAL Filed Nov. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I A l i I 45 I b INVENTOR. 71 LOUIS G. CALLEGARI W In United States Patent 3,126,119 CAN SEAL Louis S. Callegari, 34tl5 45th St., Long island City, NY. Filed Nov. 29, 1951, Ser. No. 155,739 3 Claims. (U. 229-24) This invention concerns a sealing closure for an opening in the top of a can containing a beverage such as beer, soda and the like.

The opening formed in the top of a can by a conventional type of can opener is generally triangular or trapezoidal in form. For such shaped openings, the usual types of round stoppers and corks cannot be used to seal the openings. The present invention is directed to provide an improved type of closure device which makes it possible to seal an irregularly shaped opening in the top of a can. Since beer and soda are pressurized carbonated beverages, it is necessary to close and seal the can opening so as to prevent release of gas pressure as well as to prevent spillage or leakage of the liquid. The present invention accomplishes these functions.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a sealing closure for an irregularly shaped opening in the top of a can.

A further object is to provide a closure device for an irregularly shaped opening in the top of a can, the device having a two-part body in which the two parts are slidably telescopically engaged with each other.

Another object is to provide a closure device as described with a resilient sealing pad secured to a head extending laterally from one of the body parts.

Still another object is to provide a closure device as described wherein the sealing pad is removable and interchangeable with others.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a front and top perspective view of a can with a sealing closure device embodying one form of the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, part of the can being shown in side elevation.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the sealing closure device, parts being omitted.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are front perspective views of sealing closure devices embodying modified forms of the inven tion.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a further modified form of sealing closure device.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 showing a sealing closure device embodying a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4 a sealing closure device 19 including an elongated body having two channel-shaped elongated parts 12, 14 slidably engaged one within the other. The lower and outer part 14 has an upwardly turned, curved end flange 16 which engages under the bead 18 of the bottom 21 of a cam 20. The part 14- has two opposing inwardly bent lateral side flanges 22 engaged around two similar smaller side flanges 24 of inner part 12. Part 14 is provided 3,126,119 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 ice with a hole 25 near its upper end. The threaded shank 26 of a clamping bolt passes through this hole. Part 12 has an elongated narrow slot 3% through which the shank 26 passes. The bolt has a head 32 which spans the slot and engages on the inner side of part 12. A wing nut 34 engages on the outer threaded end of the shank 26 and bears on the outer side of part 14 clamping the head 32 against part 12. The wing nut and bolt are omitted in the illustration of the device in FIG. 4. A coil spring 36 is attached at its upper end to a hook 38 extending inwardly from the lower end of part 12. The bottom end of the spring passes through a hole in the bent flange 15 and terminates in a head 49. When the part 12 is moved upwardly and partially out of part 14, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the spring 36 is tensioned and stretched as shown in FIG. 2.

Part 12 has a fiat head 42 extending laterally substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body channel portion. A resilient rubber or plastic pad 44 is secured to the underside of head 42 by a screw 46.

The pad 44 may also be secured in position by a rivet, by cementing, or any other suitable way.

When an irregularly shaped hole 45 is required to be sealed in the top 47 of the can 2%), as shown in FIGS. 13, the sealing closure device 19 is applied to the can. This is accomplished by adjusting the length of the device by loosening the wing nut 34. The upper 12 is then placed against the side wall of the can with head 42 extending over the hole 45. The pad 44 will be placed on the top of the can covering the hole. The lower part 14 will be extended against the tension in spring 36 and its bottom flange 16 will be hooked under the head 18 of the can. The spring tension will be sufiicient to eifect sealing of the opening in the can as the two parts 12 and 14 are telescopically contracted by the spring. The wing nut 34 can then be tightened to lock the device against circumferential displacement around the can and against relative movement between parts 12 and 14.

In FIGS. 5 and 8, closure device 10* is similar to device 10 and corresponding parts are identically numbered. Spring 36 is omitted from device 10*.

The device 10* can be mounted on a can to effect closure of an opening in the top thereof, like device 10. The wing nut 34 is loosened to press the pad 44 down on the top of the opened can as part 12 slidably retracts into part 14 Then while pressure is still maintained on the pad, wing nut 34 will be manually tightened, to set the device in tension and effectively seal the hole in the top of the can.

Device lil shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is similar to device 10 and corresponding parts are identically numbered. Instead of wing nut 34, the closure device has a leaf spring 60 mounted on the upper end of part 14 This leaf spring has a forwardly extending finger 62 adapted to engage in any one of a plurality of slots 64 formed in the part 12". Spring 36 tends to retract part 12 into part 14 maintaining pressure on pad 44 while finger 62 engages in one of slots 64 and holds the parts 12 and 14 in tension, thus effectively sealing the opening 45 in the top of the can 26. An outwardly extending finger grip element 65 is formed at the upper end of spring 60 for retracting finger 62 out of the slot 64, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 7.

The modified form of sealing closure device 10x shown in FIG. 9 differs from the closure device 10 merely in that the inner part 12x comprises a rectangular shaped plate without any flanges.

The sealing closure devices illustrated and described make it possible to seal an irregularly shaped hole in a top of a can. The closure devices are adjustable to cans of diiferent sizes. The closure devices are easily removed by loosening the holding wing nut or by disengaging the holding spring finger. The several parts of the devices can be made economically on mass production machinery. The devices are easy to use, durable and long lasting.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A closure device for an irregularly shaped opening in one fiat end of a cylindrical can having a bead at the other flat end thereof, comprising two channel-shaped parts slidably and telescopically interfitted one within the other, the one of said parts having a head extending outwardly thereof, a pad at the underside of said head for disposition on said one flat end of the can to cover said opening, the other of said parts having a curved flange at one end thereof extending outwardly to engage under the bead at the other end of the can, a coil spring attached at one end to the one part and at the other end to the other part for retracting the parts into each other for pressing the pad down on said one end of the can to seal said opening, said other part having a slot therein, a bolt passing through said slot and having a head engaged inside of said other part at edges of the slot, and a Wing nut on said bolt for detachably locking the parts together.

2. A closure device for an irregularly shaped opening in one flat end of a cylindrical can having a bead at the other fiat end thereof, comprising two channel-shaped parts slidably and telescopically interfitted one within the other, the one of said parts having a head extending outwardly thereof, a pad at the underside of said head for disposition on said one flat end of the can to cover said opening, the other of said parts having a curved flange at one end thereof extending outwardly to engage under the bead at the other end of the can, a coil spring attached at one end to the one part and at the other end to the other part for retracting the parts into each other for pressing the pad down on said one end of the can to seal said opening, said one part having a plurality of slots therein, and a leaf spring on said other part having a retractable finger engageable in any one of said slots for detachably locking the parts together.

3. A closure device for an irregularly shaped opening in one fiat end of a cylindrical can having a bead at the other flat end thereof, said device comprising two parts slidably and telescopically interfitted one Within the other, the one of said parts having a head extending outwardly thereof, a pad at the underside of said head for disposition on said one flat end of the can to cover said opening, quick detachable means removably securing the pad to said head for quick interchanging of the pad, the other of said parts having a curved flange at one end thereof extending outwardly to engage under the bead at the other end of the can, a coil spring attached at one end to the one part and at the other end to the other part for retracting the parts into each other for pressing the pad down on said one end of the can to seal said opening, said other part having a slot therein, a bolt passing through said slot and having a head engaged inside of said other part at edges of the slot, and a wing nut on said bolt for detachably locking the parts together, one of said two parts being channelshaped, the other part constituted by an elongated rectangular plate, said quick detachable means constituted by a screw extending through aligned openings in the pad and head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,533 Peters June 24, 1941 2,559,190 Hallstream July 3, 1951 2,905,500 Thombs Sept. 22, 1959 2,999,612 Valvano Sept. 12, 1961 

1. A CLOSURE DEVICE FOR AN IRREGULARLY SHAPED OPENING IN ONE FLAT END OF CYLINDRICAL CAN HAVING A BEAD AT THE OTHER FLAT END THEREOF, COMPRISING TWO CHANNEL-SHAPED PARTS SLIDABLY AND TELESCOPICALLY INTERFITTED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER, THE ONE OF SAID PARTS HAVING A HEAD EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREOF, A PAD AT THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID HEAD FOR DISPOSITION ON SAID ONE FLAT END OF THE CAN TO COVER SAID OPENING, THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS HAVING A CURVED FLANGE AT ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING OUTWARDLY TO ENGAGE UNDER THE BEAD AT THE OTHER END OF THE CAN, A COIL SPRING ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE ONE PART AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE OTHER PART FOR RETRACTING THE PARTS INTO EACH OTHER FOR PRESSING THE PAD DOWN ON SAID ONE END OF THE CAN TO SEAL SAID OPENING, SAID OTHER PART HAVING A SLOT THEREIN, A BOLT PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOT AND HAVING A HEAD ENGAGED INSIDE OF SAID OTHER PART AT EDGES OF THE SLOT, AND A WING NUT ON SAID BOLT FOR DETACHABLY LOCKING THE PARTS TOGETHER. 